Town Hall Square

You’re now standing in Town Hall Square, the civic heart of Saint-Tropez. The town hall itself occupies a former 17th-century mansion, transformed into the seat of local government in 1808. And as you’ve probably gathered by now, in Saint-Tropez everything seems to lead back to the Bravades! Each May, this square becomes one of their main stages. Here, the mayor ceremoniously hands over the pike—a long lance symbolizing command—to the Town Captain, while the deputy mayor entrusts the flag to the appointed standard-bearer, known as the ensign. All around, the bravadeurs fire their old blunderbusses, those wide-mouthed firearms whose deafening blasts echo off the facades. Shining uniforms, flags snapping in the wind, and the thunder of gunfire create a spectacle that’s both festive and solemn. For the rest of the year, the square falls quiet again, yet its symbolic role endures—this is where Saint-Tropez asserts its identity, poised between tradition and the Republic.